NCEI added Alaska climate divisions to its nClimDiv dataset on Friday, March 6, 2015, coincident with the release of the February 2015 monthly monitoring report. For more information on this data, please visit the Alaska Climate Divisions FAQ.

Maps and Graphics:

It should be emphasized that all of the temperature
and precipitation ranks and
values are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when
the final data are processed, but will not be replaced on these
pages. Graphics based on final data are available on the Climate Monitoring Products
page.

For graphics covering periods other than those mentioned above or
for tables of national, regional, and statewide data from
1895-present, for December, last 3 months or other periods, please
go to the Climate At A Glance
page.

National Overview:

December temperatures were near average overall for the nation
with below average temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and
Southeast and warmer than average conditions for the Southwest and
parts of the northern Plains. For information on temperature
records during the month, please go to NCDC's Extremes page.

Precipitation was near average for the contiguous US as a
whole. Much below average to record low precipitation occurred
across the southern US from Louisiana to Arizona, and much wetter
than average conditions were present for much of the West. For more
information on drought during December, please visit the U.S. Drought page.

Monthly and Seasonal Highlights:

National:

For tables of national, regional, and
statewide data from 1895-present, for December, last 3 months or
other periods, please go to the Climate At A Glance page.

December 2005 ranked as the
45th coldest December in the 1895 to present record. The
preliminary nationally averaged temperature was 33.5°F
(0.8°C), which was 0.0°F (0.0°C) different from the
long-term mean.

December 2005 had near average
precipitation, nationally, ranking 53rd driest.

For the last 3 months temperature was
above average and ranked as the 16th warmest such period in the
1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally averaged
temperature for October-December was 45.1°F (7.3°C) which
was 1.5°F (0.8°C) above the long-term mean.

October-December had near average
precipitation, ranking 52nd wettest in the last 111 years.

The January-December 2005
temperature was above average and ranked as the 13th warmest such
period in the 1895 to present record. The preliminary nationally
averaged temperature was 54.0°F (12.2°C) which was
1.2°F (0.7°C) above the long-term mean.

Precipitation was near average for January-December, ranking 49th wettest for the
last 12 months based on a record of 111 such periods.

Regional and Statewide:

December 2005 temperatures ranked below average for 18 states and above average for only
4 states, with an additional 2 states (CA and NV) much above
average.

Alaska temperatures were
much above average for December and ranked 6th warmest on record.
The year was also much warmer than average ranking 6th warmest
since statewide records began in 1918.

December was record dry for 2 states (AZ and AR), with an
additional 4 states, which were in the top ten driest Decembers on
record. December was wetter than average for 11 states and much
wetter than average for an additional 4 states.

October-December 2005 was
record wet for 5 New England states, while 10 more states were much
wetter than average. Five states were much drier than average and
Arkansas was record dry for the 3-month period.

January-December 2005 was
warmer or much warmer than average for much of the nation, with
only 5 states in the contiguous U.S. near average.

The last 12 months had a
mixed precipitation pattern across the country. There were 24
states that were wetter or much wetter than average, including 2
record wet states in New England, and there were 10 states that
were drier or much drier than average.

It should be emphasized that all of the temperature and
precipitation ranks and values
are based on preliminary data. The ranks will change when the final
data are processed, but will not be replaced on these pages.
Graphics based on final data are available on the Climate Monitoring Products
page.

Citing This Report

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: National Overview for December 2005, published online January 2006, retrieved on December 9, 2016 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/200512.